1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to tablet dispensers and particularly pertains to a new and improved tablet dispenser providing in a first mode a spring-biased plunger directing with integrally directed opening into an associated tablet container to accept a tablet therefrom and project said tablet through a cooperating conduit within said cap outwardly of said cap with a second mode of invention utilizing a two-part cap to effectively and efficiently prevent undesirable removal of tablets from said cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of tablet dispensing caps is well known in the prior art. As may be appreciated, these devices are typically of relatively complex and of expansive construction in hinder their efficient utilization by a user thereof. In this connection, there have been several attempts to develop tablet dispensing caps which may be easily and efficiently utilized when desired. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,651 to Thompson utilizes a multipart cap wherein a lower part secures individual tablets secured within a rupture pack whereupon relative motion of a lower part of the cap relative to an upper part, and associated cam directs a tablet secured within the lower part upwardly and simultaneously ruptures a cell containing the tablet to project the tablet outwardly of the cap organization. While an effective means of delivering individual tablets from individually cells, the Thompson patent fails to provide a cap easily interfitting with an associated container to house a magazine of tablets for selective dispensing through associated conduits.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,099 to McTaggart sets forth a tablet dispenser wherein an overlying single row of tablet are stacked one upon the other within an extending magazine where an underlying plunger individually directs tablets from the dispenser housing. The McTaggart patent is of relative interest with regard to a plunger directed tablet dispenser, but fails to provide an easily snap-fit cap for use with bulk containers housing a random array of tablets therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,927 to Richardson sets forth a circular housing including an array of individually sealed tablets about an inner perimeter thereof wherein an axially pivotal plunger oriented axially of the flip-up housing projects an individual tablet through an underlying port of a series of ports through said housing such that the plunger may be rotated to sequentially remove and eject such tablets from the housing. While the Richardson patent is of interest relative to a plunger actuated tablet dispenser, the structure and intent of the apparatus is relatively remote to that of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,075 to Richardson sets forth an improvement over the aforenoted Richardson patent wherein an overlying housing encloses a perimeter of individually sealed tablets within a relatively rotatable underlying housing such that the overlying housing is of a flexible nature to permit plunging of a portion overlying the individual tablets to permit ejection of the tablets through a lower part of the circular housing to enable a user, as opposed to aforenoted Richardson patent, to selectively eject tablets without recourse to opening the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,806 to Ardito sets forth a housing generally shaped as a rectangular parallel piped wherein a plurality of positionable manually operable conveyor means incrementally sequences a plurality of tablets along either side of the container to enable ejection of the tablets through respective openings at forwardmost portions by means of a levering plunger formed integrally with the upper part of the housing.
As such it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved tablet dispenser which addresses both the problem of ease of use and effectiveness and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.